Equality NC Supports Legislation Rejecting Discriminatory "REAL ID"

Equality NC Supports Legislation Rejecting
Discriminatory "REAL ID"

5/22/2008 - Earlier this week a bi-partisan coalition of lawmakers introduced legislation in the state House opposing the implementation of the discriminatory and over-reaching federal REAL ID Act in North Carolina. Equality North Carolina supports this bill because of the harmful effect REAL ID would have on transgender North Carolinians.

House Bill 2136, "Oppose REAL ID Act of 2005," would direct state agencies not to comply with the requirements of the federal lawwhile providing the Division of Motor Vehicles with freedom to ensure the integrity of drivers' licenses.

"The Real ID Act will increase discrimination and violence against transgender people," said Ian Palmquist. "We are proud to join with the ACLU of North Carolina and other organizations in supporting state legislation to oppose this harmful federal mandate and protect the civil liberties of all North Carolinians."

Transgender people need ID that accurately reflects their updated information and, for safety reasons, information that reveals a gender change must be kept private. The Real ID Act puts up additional barriers to acquiring ID that reflects a person’s new name and it makes information about a person’s former name easier to discover, potentially outing transgender people to whomever scans their ID.

When transgender people do not have updated information on their ID, or when information about a gender change is made known, transgender people are vulnerable to increased discrimination and even violence.